The 2026 crop of James Beard Award finalists were announced Tuesday, and Los Angeles appears poised to rack up some wins.
Some of those wins were revealed Tuesday. The announcement, for example, included the Humanitarian of the Year, which this year honors Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz, who founded No Us Without You in Los Angeles. The organization was founded to provide food relief for restaurant workers impacted by the pandemic in 2020. During the immigration raids last year, the group pivoted to create a coalition of restaurants that serve meals to families afraid to go out.
In addition, Los Angeles-based chef Nancy Silverton was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. The chef and restaurateur was the founder of La Brea Bakery, and co-founder of the acclaimed restaurant Campanile, before she built a restaurant empire that includes Osteria Mozza, with multiple locations, Pizzeria Mozza, Chi Spacca, and more.
Among the various chef and restaurateur categories, eight nominees from Los Angeles also made the finalist cut, including Gilberto Cetina of Holbox, and Niki Nakayama of n/naka, who were both nominated for Outstanding Chef.
This is also the second year of the Beard foundation’s Impact Awards, which are designed to spotlight the foundation’s work and advocacy policy priorities.
Impact Award winners for 2026 include:
- The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), based in Los Angeles, which for four decades has advocated for immigrant rights. CHIRLA serves about 450,000 immigrants through programs and services, like community education and outreach, organizing, offering workers’ rights and legal services, climate justice and other policy work. The group also led a Rapid Response Network to defend families impacted by immigration raids, and offered disaster relief after the LA wildfires.
- The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which since 2006 has provided affordable and supportive housing in 12 states to help people break the cycle of poverty, especially youths and veterans. In 2011, the mission expanded to include JBJ Soul Kitchen, a non-profit, pay-it-forward kitchen with four locations in New Jersey that offers healthy meals as well as support services for finding work, mental health and other housing resources.
- Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat from New Mexico, was selected for his service on the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, where he has fought to protect the anti-hunger program SNAP. Luján is also described as an advocate for farmers, ranchers and producers in the agriculture sector, along with farm workers, and others working in the nation’s food systems.
- ReFED, a non-profit dedicated to the reduction of food waste. ReFED is working on data-driven solutions that have the potential to unlock $60 billion, while diverting 20 million tons of food from landfills.
- The Southern Smoke Foundation, founded in 2017 by Houston restaurateur Chris Shepherd and executive director Lindsey Brown. The foundation offers no-cost mental health services and emergency relief funding to food-and-beverage workers facing financial hardship. To date, the foundation has granted more than $16 million.
Below is the full list of Beard Award chef and restaurant finalists. Winners will be named at a glittering ceremony in Chicago on June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Outstanding Restaurateur
- Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar, Cal-India Collective (Ettan, Copra, Eylan and Little Blue Door), Palo Alto, San Francisco, Menlo Park, Los Altos, California
- Meherwan Irani and Molly Irani, Chai Pani Restaurant Group (Chai Pani and Botiwalla), Asheville, North Carolina
- Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, Link Restaurant Group (Pêche Seafood Grill, Herbsaint, Cochon, and others), New Orleans
- Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, H Town Restaurant Group (Hugo's, Xochi, Urbe, and others), Houston
- Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, Maine
Outstanding Chef
- Gilberto Cetina, Holbox, Los Angeles
- Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles
- Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction, Colorado
- David Standridge, The Shipwright's Daughter, Mystic, Connecticut
- Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco
Outstanding Restaurant
- The Catbird Seat, Nashville
- The Four Horsemen, Brooklyn, New York
- Kalaya, Philadelphia
- Mixtli, San Antonio, Texas
- Vicia, St. Louis, Missouri
Emerging Chef
- Fátima Juárez, Komal, Los Angeles
- E.J. Lagasse, Emeril's, New Orleans
- Rasheeda Purdie, Ramen by Ra, New York City
- Bailey Sullivan, Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, Chicago
- Adrian Torres, Maximo, West University Place, Texas
Best New Restaurant
- 1033 Omakase, Milwaukee
- Agnes and Sherman, Houston
- Anjin, Kansas City, Missouri
- Emmett, Philadelphia
- Ki, Los Angeles
- Lei, New York City
- Maison Bar à Vins, Washington, D.C.
- Merci, Charleston, South Carolina
- Robin, St. Louis, Missouri
- Tamba, Las Vegas
Outstanding Bakery
- Cultured, Sister Bay, Wisconsin
- Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, Anchorage, Alaska
- Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, New Hampshire
- Weltons Tiny Bakeshop, Charleston, South Carolina
- Wild Crumb, Bozeman, Montana
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
- Neale Asato, Asato Family Shop, Honolulu
- Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
- Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Nicosi, San Antonio, Texas
- Maggie Huff, Lucia, Dallas
- Justine MacNeil, Fiore, Philadelphia
Outstanding Hospitality
- Ansots Basque Chorizos & Catering, Boise, Idaho
- Aria, Atlanta
- Bottega, Birmingham, Alabama
- Louie, Clayton, Missouri
- Providence, Los Angeles
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Chambers, New York City
- Field & Main Restaurant, Marshall, Virginia
- Kato, Los Angeles
- The Port of Call, Mystic, Connecticut
- Sway Brewing & Blending, Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin
Outstanding Bar
- Bow & Arrow Brewing Co., Albuquerque, New Mexico
- The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia
- Onyx Coffee Lab, Rogers, Arkansas
- Scotch Lodge, Portland, Oregon
- Smuggler's Cove, San Francisco
Best New Bar
- Bar Chenin, Detroit
- Bar, Please!, Boise, Idaho
- Clemente Bar, New York City
- Later Bye, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Loma, Providence, Rhode Island
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
- Jack Benchakul, endorffeine coffee bar, Los Angeles
- Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York City
- Ryan Fletter, Barolo Grill, Denver
- Brent Kroll, Maxwell Park, Washington, D.C.
- June Rodil, March, Houston
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
- Hastings Cameron, Imaginary Factory, Madison, Wisconsin
- Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco
- Nicky Fas, Pantera, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver
- Ivy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy, Brooklyn, New York
Best Chefs (by region)
Best Chef: California
- Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, California
- Harrison Cheney, Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
- Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu, Sun Moon Studio, Oakland, California
- Kwang Uh, Baroo, Los Angeles
- Daisy Ryan, Bell's, Los Alamos, California
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
- Vinnie Cimino, Cordelia, Cleveland, Ohio
- Sarah Dworak, Sudova, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Norman Fenton, Cariño, Chicago
- Jeffery Harris, Nolia Kitchen, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
- Nathan Flaim, Luca, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia
- Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia
- Suresh Sundas, Tapori, Washington, D.C.
- Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Honeysuckle, Philadelphia
Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
- Zak Baker, Ca’Lucchenzo, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
- Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado No Mise, Minneapolis
- Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, Missouri
- Nick Bognar, Sado, Pavilion, St. Louis, Missouri
- David Utterback, Yoshitomo, Ota, Omaha, Nebraska
Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
- Johnny Curiel, Alma Fonda Fina, Denver
- Travis Herbert, Felt Bar & Eatery, Salt Lake City
- Earl James Reynolds, Herb & Omni, Whitefish, Montana
- Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver
- Nick Zocco, Urban Hill, Salt Lake City
Best Chef: New York State
- Fidel Caballero, Corima, New York City
- Giovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, New York City
- Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, New York
- Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, New York City
- Joshua Pinsky, Claud, New York City
Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
- David DiStasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, Connecticut
- Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, New Hampshire
- Thomas Takashi Cooke, Izakaya Minato, Portland, Maine
- Paul Trombly, Fancy's, Burlington, Vermont
- Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, Rhode Island
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)
- Nathan Bentley, Altura Bistro, Anchorage, Alaska
- Johnny Courtney, Atoma, Seattle
- Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Gado Gado, Portland, Oregon
- Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, Oregon
- Aaron Tekulve, Surrell, Seattle
Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)
- Ana Castro, Acamaya, New Orleans
- Bryce Bonsack, Rocca, Tampa, Florida
- Maria La Mota and Chason Spencer, Chancho King, Jacksonville, Florida
- Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans
- Jason Paul, Heirloom at The 1907, Rogers, Arkansas
Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
- Joe Cash, Scoundrel, Greenville, South Carolina
- Mary Ellen Diaz, Alma Bea, Shepherdstown, West Virginia
- J. Trent Harris, Mujō, Atlanta
- Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester, North Carolina
- David Willocks, The Baker's Table, Newport, Kentucky
Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)
- Jeff Chanchaleune, Bar Sen, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Brian Howard, Sparrow + Wolf, Las Vegas
- Steve Riley, Mesa Provisions, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas
- Zack Walters, Sedalia's, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Best Chef: Texas
- Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk, Houston
- Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN, Houston
- Scott Girling, Osteria Il Muro, Denton, Texas
- Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, Café Piro, Socorro, Texas
- Finn Walter, The Nicolett, Lubbock, Texas
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